Pitt Panther Prowl

PITT FOOTBALL SPRING CAMP: DEFENSE

 Today’s March 25^th and we are finally where we’ve wanted to be all off season - the beginning of Spring practices and we are ready to see what a new season will bring our Panther’s and their fans. We have a lot to look forward to, some big questions and some real defensive highlights of last season to point back to.

In our last series of articles we discussed the Offense and what we felt were the key issues to watch during 2008’s Spring Camp. Our offense, with the exception of LeSean McCoy is still a series of questions to be answered. Most specifically at QB, OL and how our key returning players, Pinkston, Kinder, Byham and Collier, will bounce back from injury.

Luckily, PITT’s defense doesn’t have the same type of worries surrounding it going into Camp.  We fielded the 5^th ranked defense in the nation last year - and although you couldn’t tell by the scores of the games, we ended up 42^nd at 24 ppg in scoring defense.  Take away our interceptions for TDs thrown in four games and it tells a much clearer story. We gave up 34 to UCONN, 44 to UVA, 48 (in overtime) to Navy and 48 to USF.  I doubt we’ll see scores on the other side of the board from our opponents like that this year.

Here’s a breakdown in our individual areas according to the NCAA official statistics:

Pass Defense              3^rd        167 ypg           Thank you Aaron.

Pass Eff. Defense      26^th      113.96             Interesting as we held other QBs to exactly the same efficiency our own QBs put up on offense - who would have thought that? Didn’t feel like it though, did it?

Sacks                           20^th      3 per game      We might see more sacks with Rhoades gone, at the very least we’ll see more pressure in the backfield against the offense.

Rushing Defense       33^rd      130 ypg           We got better after the Navy game and looked awesome toward the end of the year.

All this adds up to a defense that lost few players and returns excellent talent and depth. So much so that the coaching staff felt comfortable moving three defensive players over to offense for this season; Malecki and Wayne Jones to the O line and Dickerson to H-Back.

Since Spring Camp is really about seeing who the staff can pencil in on the two deep so they can use the off time during the summer months to develop strategy for their personnel going into Summer Camp, we won’t be able to divine much during these next three weeks, but there are some issue to look at.

So, where does this leave us for Spring Camp? In pretty good shape actually.  Along the D line we’ll watch for Myles Caragein (rsFR) to live up to the hype he’s generated on the practice squad and if he has we might see him creep up into the two deep at least. Gus Mustakas (rsJR) will be returning from a season long knee injury so he may not be too active during this camp for risk of re-injury. He played very well prior to getting hurt so watch to see if he’s back to form. We’ll see how well Doug Fulmer (rsJR) returns from his injury and if he can keep progressing the way he did prior to it two years ago - a long time to be out of the lineup - he’ll battle for a starting DE spot with Jabaal Sheard (SO). It’s safe to say Greg Romeus (rsSO) as a returning freshman All-American is a lock at one DE spot.

At LB there isn’t much question about the starting three, unless one of the younger kids plays so well that he can’t be kept off the field. McKillop, Gunn and Murray will be penciled in as first string again - at least during this Camp. McKillop is a tackling machine (maybe literally, he plays inhumanly sometimes). We’ll look at who seems to be getting more snaps with the second team - Max Gruder (rsFR), Dan Loheyde (SO), Brandon Lindsay (rsFR) or Tristan Roberts (rsFR), all the while keeping an eye on Greg Williams (rsFR) who was switched over from offense and might be strong enough to move up quickly.

Our defensive backfield has the most outstanding questions of all the defensive areas, and first and foremost on the fan’s minds is if Elijah Fields‘ (SO) eligibility has been re-instated.  Not knowing the intricate details of the NCAA’s rules about this, we think he’ll be practicing on a regular basis, but wonder if it will be with the first string - if it is perhaps that’s an indication of his status. If not, then there might be troubles down the road. We’ll keep our fingers crossed.  At any rate Dom DeCicco (SO) will be working out at safety along with returning hard hitter Eric Thatcher (SR). We’ll also watch to see how Sherod Murdock (rsFR) has adapted to his new safety position.

Defensive back has one spot open - left by Kennard Cox’s departure. This was a strength for us last season and Aaron Berry (JR) has lived up to his reputation and is firmly ensconced at field corner. Watch who gets more snaps behind him - Buddy Jackson (rsFR) or newcomer Ronald Hobby (FR), an early enrollee who will be in pads for camp. We don’t think Hobby will play much, if at all though in 2008.  Since Cox played boundary corner last year we have a bit of a battle for that spot.  Jovanni Chappel (JR) and Ricky Gary (SO) will work out there this spring, but we’re not sure we’ll be able to see who gets the nod there until summer camp at least.

So the main things we’d like to see answered during Spring Camp for the defense are:

Is Fields on the field and practicing with the first team? Are Mustakas and Fulmer 100% and able to practice? Is Caragein able to move into the two deep on the interior D line? How do the young LBs look - can someone unseat either Gunn or Murray? And, are the early indications that our new DC will be more aggressive with his defensive calls, and do we have players that can execute those plays?